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chantaal's Reviews (2.32k)
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Oh boy. So I know I can always count on Ilona Andrews to give me some top tier world building and that is not in question here. Magic and Innkeepers? Making all the paranormal creatures like vampires and werewolves actually be aliens? Love it.
The character work is where it falters. Dina is fine, if a little lackluster. Sean and Arland, however, are the worst of what Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance as a genre have to offer - big strong alpha men (Sean is literally a special type of Alpha Werewolf, bred to be the biggest and strongest!!) who don't really seem to take Dina at her word when she says NO. Character decisions and backstory are clumsily explained.
Am I still going to continue on? Hell yeah. Everyone is an alien! The Inn is somewhat sentient and Dina is magically connected to it! This world building is fun!
The character work is where it falters. Dina is fine, if a little lackluster. Sean and Arland, however, are the worst of what Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance as a genre have to offer - big strong alpha men (Sean is literally a special type of Alpha Werewolf, bred to be the biggest and strongest!!) who don't really seem to take Dina at her word when she says NO. Character decisions and backstory are clumsily explained.
Am I still going to continue on? Hell yeah. Everyone is an alien! The Inn is somewhat sentient and Dina is magically connected to it! This world building is fun!
If you're looking for a delightfully fucked up little story to read, Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees has it all!
Set in a world full of anthropomorphized animals, it gives off Berenstain Bears or Richard Scarry vibes, especially with the setting of a very close knit small town. Samantha is the local hardware store owner, beloved by the town and has many friends. She just so happens to need to go to the nearby Big City every few months to kidnap a random person, take their body into the woods, and murder and dismember them. Just to quiet her brain, of course. When a local man is murdered and his body found in a gruesome fashion, Samantha realizes there's another serial killer in town and she needs to stop them before the cops accidentally stumble upon her.
The juxtaposition of the animal characters, the warmth of the small town and the soft color of the artwork vs the unhinged gore of the murders taking place is what really works here and elevated it from Yet Another Serial Killer Story to something special for me. The growing dread of the town's inhabitants as more bodies pile up, the focus on some of the townsfolk as more bodies drop, exploring Samantha's relationships with others - it all makes for a great good time.
I would say the only negative for me here is how things are wrapped up in the end. The discovery and climax seem to happen in one single issue and it blows by so fast that it was almost unsatisfying.
Still, I had a good time with this comic - at least, as much of a good time as one can have when see-sawing between cozy smalltown vibes and gory murder. Very much recommend this if it's up your alley.
Content warning: I'm not kidding about the gore. There's some gruesome shit in here, but it works so well in contrast to the overall artwork choice.
Set in a world full of anthropomorphized animals, it gives off Berenstain Bears or Richard Scarry vibes, especially with the setting of a very close knit small town. Samantha is the local hardware store owner, beloved by the town and has many friends. She just so happens to need to go to the nearby Big City every few months to kidnap a random person, take their body into the woods, and murder and dismember them. Just to quiet her brain, of course. When a local man is murdered and his body found in a gruesome fashion, Samantha realizes there's another serial killer in town and she needs to stop them before the cops accidentally stumble upon her.
The juxtaposition of the animal characters, the warmth of the small town and the soft color of the artwork vs the unhinged gore of the murders taking place is what really works here and elevated it from Yet Another Serial Killer Story to something special for me. The growing dread of the town's inhabitants as more bodies pile up, the focus on some of the townsfolk as more bodies drop, exploring Samantha's relationships with others - it all makes for a great good time.
I would say the only negative for me here is how things are wrapped up in the end. The discovery and climax seem to happen in one single issue and it blows by so fast that it was almost unsatisfying.
Still, I had a good time with this comic - at least, as much of a good time as one can have when see-sawing between cozy smalltown vibes and gory murder. Very much recommend this if it's up your alley.
Content warning: I'm not kidding about the gore. There's some gruesome shit in here, but it works so well in contrast to the overall artwork choice.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Blood, Murder
Minor: Dementia
Now this is a fun dragon story that I can get behind.
This story follows Maddileh, a disgrace knight who decides that the only way to rehabilitate her name and her image is to go into a dragon's lair to get a mythical sword called the Fireborne Blade. There's also a lot of magic here, as Maddie has a squire to assist her on the quest, and we also have a few flashbacks where she befriends a female mage.
The world building here is very solid. Interspersed throughout the novella are brief chapters that are essentially historical accounts of previous dragon slayings, showing how dangerous it is to do so, and discussing the myriad ways knights have died horribly. It builds up some great tension as we follow Maddie into the dragon's lair.
I won't say much else because there is a LOT more to the story beyond the synopsis that I found was a delight to discover as it unfolded. This was just FUN, and I'm so glad a sequel is already planned.
This story follows Maddileh, a disgrace knight who decides that the only way to rehabilitate her name and her image is to go into a dragon's lair to get a mythical sword called the Fireborne Blade. There's also a lot of magic here, as Maddie has a squire to assist her on the quest, and we also have a few flashbacks where she befriends a female mage.
The world building here is very solid. Interspersed throughout the novella are brief chapters that are essentially historical accounts of previous dragon slayings, showing how dangerous it is to do so, and discussing the myriad ways knights have died horribly. It builds up some great tension as we follow Maddie into the dragon's lair.
I won't say much else because there is a LOT more to the story beyond the synopsis that I found was a delight to discover as it unfolded. This was just FUN, and I'm so glad a sequel is already planned.
A lot of old thematic ground is being tread here, making for a boring and eye roll-inducing volume. Bizarre character choices, too. In what world would Rahne ever listen to the Shadow King, even as grief stricken as she is about her child?
And of course the tried and true “mutants who can pass for human don’t understand what it’s like for us so we’ll be manipulated into horrible choices now” storyline is in play with the younger kids. I thought Anole was cool with himself??
Plus, a whole lot of time in this volume was spent in the Otherworld and goddamnit I hate it there.
At least Magick was delightfully herself and we got Warpath in short shorts.
And of course the tried and true “mutants who can pass for human don’t understand what it’s like for us so we’ll be manipulated into horrible choices now” storyline is in play with the younger kids. I thought Anole was cool with himself??
Plus, a whole lot of time in this volume was spent in the Otherworld and goddamnit I hate it there.
At least Magick was delightfully herself and we got Warpath in short shorts.
I went into this completely blind and honestly can’t remember what put it in my radar…thank you, universe. Isekai with a good helping of Magic Made Me Do It (sort of) kicking off a gay romance? I’m here for it.